~
"Bones of nature heed my call,
lifeless branches become my thrall!"
- Instinctively composed aria by Halia. Used to create a simple, dog-shaped familiar out of a wicker basket.
~

Author's Note

First off, I'd like to thank my wonderful beta reader! Thanks for the suggestions and being a soundboard for my writing, PSYLENTFOX!

Hiya folks, back again! I've tried taking reviews and comments into account and did my best to separate dialogue a little more. Still, it feels a little unnatural to write, but that's probably just one of my quirks. Feel free to keep letting me know what you think! :) It's also been pointed out that I have developed something of a sword-fetish, so sorry about that in advance. Describing swords I envisioned in my head is... difficult, especially considering English is not my native language. Please do let me know whether it's too much, too little, or maybe just right... O:)?

Also, my apologies for the delay in posting this chapter. I've been aiming for 20K chapters, but in the end I decided to just write until it felt natural to cut it off. I have about 30K words beyond this chapter at the moment, as well as tidbits for future chapters that I'm still not sure of where to introduce them in the storyline. Chapter 7 will most likely be up in a week or two at the latest, but with university courses picking back up again next week, it might take a little longer :P Apologies in advance!

I do not own Fate Stay/Night, nor related material. All I own are the Original Characters/Mechanics.

Reviews!

Celian Cogitore - Watch it there! Big sis Arturia will mess you up if you insinuate anything untoward with the innocent, twelve years old, Half Elven cutie in question...

TeotakuFantasia - Great to hear kohai Halia is well-received! I have some vague ideas in regards to story lines centered around the Elves and the Reverse Side of the World, but nothing concrete as of yet. In regards to a camera-like Mystic Code... Amusing, but please don't get your hopes up :P While I do enjoy those scant few well-written FanFics that produce modern amenities with some healthy handwavium-magic (HV-S01: Red Knight Redemption by Ekaterina016, with its clockwork horses and grenades, is a prime example of that - Go Team Mo-san!), I'm afraid that's not really my style...

Obliumm/Anagennisi - I'm not sure why Medea is always shown as having pointy ears, but I suppose being the granddaughter of the Sun God Helios and being the daughter of a sea nymph does wacky things to your body :P Would make an interesting story line, but alas! She's no Elf. While it may be funny to have her fall for a medieval Briton Souichirou, I have a few other ideas in mind... :)

Dr175m - Arturia is still a little young for anything too serious. Perhaps considering the era it could be considered acceptable, but keep in mind that Shirou does have modern standards ;) I'm a big and shameless fan of Fate-In Time, but I do intend to introduce their romantic relationship a fair bit sooner, so don't worry O:)

Guest - Hmm, in regards to Gaia not erasing his projections at all if they are accurate enough; I'm going to look into that as it could drastically change what I have planned for the upcoming chapters. Thanks for the tidbit!

Star - I might be so inclined to put in a 'the Knights who say Ni!' omake at some point haha. It might be a recurring thing, Monthy Python King Arthur Omakes... Hmmm... The only problem is that I honestly don't know how to write a proper omake ;/ I'm not really that proficient when it comes to writing humorous pieces, sigh. Suggestions are welcome, of course :) Preferably over PM in this case, to not give away any spoilers in the review section ;).

Katarnsuil - Looking back, I agree that Halia may have found out Arturia's secret a little early. I do consider this to be my first actual fanfic and sadly I could have planned several things a lot better. I really introduced UBW far too early, for example. Oh well, no going back now! And who knows how the mages will respond...? :) We'll just have to wait and find out...

TheForcefulNature - Oh wow, thanks for the compliments and encouragement! :P I appreciate it, although I cannot for the life of me agree on your estimation of my writing skills haha. Still though, nice to hear O:) Also, don't worry. I will keep continuing this story as it is right now, even if I don't really agree with some of my narrative choices, looking back.

All Other Reviews - Really, thanks a lot for all the encouragement and feedback! :) 75 reviews at the moment of publishing this chapter :O That may not be all that much compared to the higher ranked stories on FFN, but I never expected to write something that came even close to that... So yeah, really, thanks to all the supporters of Fate:Salvation! This chapter took a lot longer to finish than I'd like, and I can't promise a strict publishing schedule, but I'll do my best to meet your expectations!

Chapter 6 - Separate Paths

Merlin absentmindedly rubbed the back of his head as he continued to inspect the vaguely humanoid familiar created by the young, Half Elven Halia. It still hurt from when Arturia had bashed him with her scabbard after he had playfully suggested giving the shape some more... defined feminine features...

"She's twelve! Don't think that now that Shirou is gone you can sway her along into your perverted ways!" the blonde had stated with a sharp glare.

These past few days had been rather punishing for his dear old head... Truly, how that girl had gotten too damn fast for him to dodge or block in such a short time... Shirou's training methods must be intense.

Jokes aside, however, he recognized Halia had an uncanny talent for the creation of familiars. He carefully inspected the construct of beautifully curling and twisting branches, moss and small, green leaves that made up the body of what resembled a young girl in height. It was mostly featureless, hollow, and only the gentle threads of vibrant green leaves coming from its head indicated Halia's intent to have it resemble a female, but this was a level that most mages would require years to reach. And she had advanced from an instinctively and hastily created wicker puppy to this in just half a week of practice.

If she could hone her talents, she had the potential to become a master of the field, and she could prove to become a strong and powerful ally to Arturia - who she seemed to truly adore as an older sister. Shirou had already determined the girl held a dual affinity of 'Wood' and 'Metal' - both rare Elemental Affinities to hold, especially together... He realized that would give her a significant edge to the creation of all kinds of familiars and Mystic Codes... After Shirou had left, Merlin had taken some time to perform the ritual to determine the girl's Origin as well...

It had taken him a full day to recover from the revelation that followed. 'Creation'... Halia's very nature was the perfect starting point and mindset, the very foundation of talent that one attributes to becoming an unrivaled master in anything related to... well... Creation! He could only imagine the benefits to Arturia's Kingdom that this girl could bring as an ally. Or the dangers as a foe... But then again, looking at her now, that seemed almost impossible. She was clearly an oddity among mages. She should be able to excel at the creation of both familiars and Mystic Codes, given enough guidance and time.

Halia meanwhile had nearly passed out as she regained her strength in a chair next to him, as forming this familiar had exhausted her supply of Od almost completely.

Curiously, the magus asked her "Hmm... Considering we haven't quite reached the point of infusing your familiars with Spirits of Nature, it won't act on its own of course. Although that is certainly within your grasp if you keep up your practice... For now, however, do you think you can will it to move, or even perform a basic task?"

Halia frowned a little and as she focused it was clear that it cost her tremendous amounts of willpower to try. Arturia, who had been hovering over the younger girl exactly like the protective big sister Halia saw her as ever since Merlin had started to train her, immediately jumped in with a concerned voice.

"Don't push yourself too far Halia... You don't want to damage your Circuits or body by overextending yourself. Trust me..."

The pained look on her face indicated to Merlin that not all had been sunshine and roses during the blonde's Reinforcement training. Not too surprising. Bodily Reinforcement is one of the most challenging fields of magecraft after all. The ease with which that mind-boggling boy did it was simply unfair compared to the standards of most mages. While with training one could pour more and more magical essence in an item or their own body, there was never anything to indicate where one's limit was. At least, not until you crossed it... Which is exactly why it's considered such a dangerous and challenging practice.

After a few deep breaths, Halia just weakly smiled as her eyes seemed to show a renewed focus and determination while she calmly stated "Don't worry, I think I can do this..."

Only a few seconds later, the familiar took an awkward step forward, wobbling a bit as Halia was trying to apply her understanding of 'walking' to the alien, jointless nature of her familiar. That first careful step was soon followed by another. And another. And another... It was still an awkward sight, and couldn't compare in grace or stability to that of an actual, living being, but it was a big step in her development nonetheless. Seeing the plant-based construct slowly make its way around the courtyard was a stunning sight. Arturia too was staring at it with wide eyes filled with wonder and awe.

At least, right up until Halia let out a pained groan and the familiar fell over, falling apart in the process. As she snapped her head back in a slight daze, Arturia quickly jumped up with a gasp, seeing a small trickle of blood flowing from the lilac-haired girl's nose.

"I told you! Don't push yourself... Here let me get that" Arturia muttered as she pulled a piece of cloth from her belt pouch and proceeded to clean her friend's face, all the while switching from concerned looks aimed at Halia, to judging gazes directed at him.

Awkwardly clearing his throat, Merlin quickly added "Alright, that's enough for today... You did very well, Halia. With some practice, I believe you could do truly wonderful things in this field of magecraft."

The girl gave him a happy, if tired, smile. "Thank you, master Merlin... But I don't feel too good about these... Human-like familiars. I-it's not that I don't a-appreciate your lessons, but it just doesn't feel right to create something so... Human. I think I want to focus more on animal forms..."

Merlin hummed as he mulled it over in his mind before he said "Alright then, I suppose I can understand that sentiment, even if it is somewhat limiting. While humanoid familiars of course have the added benefit of being able to perform more complex tasks, I can't force you to go in that direction. If you prefer it, we will start with simple animals in the morning... Although I would ask you to think it over, as their benefits should not so casually be denied. Just keep in mind that they only look Human."

On another such days, after spending most of it practicing with creating small familiars, Halia found herself enjoying dinner at Lord Ector's estate with the others. Looking at the illusive Magus of Flowers as he smiled and played with his food, she once more had to tell herself that yes, the man sitting opposite her twirling around a small piece of meat as his eyes followed the behind of one of the serving staff, is in fact the most renowned magus in Britannia.

She knew, even if she didn't quite understand it, that Merlin had good relations with Lord Ector's family and Shirou, and spends quite a bit of his time in Bala. But apart from that, what does a man like him do? She had met some magi as she worked the counter in her mother's shop, but from what they told her, a magus life is one of research and study... She couldn't quite see the free-spirited man opposite her live such a life.

"Master Merlin, I-I was wondering what you do when you're not... Here? I know from Arturia and Shirou that you only stop by every once in a while to check up on their progress... But what does a famous magus like yourself do the rest of the time?"

Merlin raised an eyebrow and smiled widely as he half sung and half shouted his reply with a playful wink. "Well, I travel my dear Halia... Dazzling dashing nobles and proud Kings with my unrivaled feats of magic! And wooing fair maidens across the realm in the process of course..."

Arturia let out an audible sigh, but didn't comment. Lord Ector just shook his head, while Sir Kay turned to her and said "I wouldn't believe everything the old coot says. He tried 'wooing' nearly every maiden in Bala, and came back with more hand prints on his cheek than kisses..."

Merlin let out a huff and retorted "The game of the heart is rife with challenges and obstacles, my boy! You cannot expect a man, even one so glorious as myself to win every battle in the conquest of love itself!"

After some more bickering and back and forth banter, Lord Ector broke them up with a sigh. "Kay, why don't you show Halia around town? I don't believe she has had the time to visit yet and I think it could help with her fitting in if you introduce her to some of the locals."

"Father..." Kay just groaned. Causing the old Knight to chuckle and retort teasingly "Now, now Kay... I never knew you to shy away from helping a beautiful lady? And besides, I believe you would otherwise be on sty duty tonight, no?"

Suffice to say, it didn't take much longer for Kay to get up and start to politely flee with Halia by his side. Merlin however held up a hand to stop them as he seemed to consider something troublesome, judging by the look on his face.

"Perhaps I should put a minor charm on young Halia to make sure no one really pays any mind to her Elven heritage..." he mused with a pained and apologetic expression. "I'm not particularly fond of bigots and ignorance myself, but in a small, rural community such as Bala... It might be wise."

They all sat in silence for a moment, pondering on whether that would be the right thing to do. Eventually, Lord Ector cleared his throat as he seemed to have come to a decision on the matter.

"I agree that it might be easier to do that, master Merlin" he started with a pained expression. "But I believe young Halia will be with us here in Bala for quite some time, so It is probably better if Kay introduced her as our guest and friend. Maybe then the villagers won't be too judgemental."

Arturia nodded with a determined expression as she grabbed Halia's hand to offer her some moral support. "And if anyone dares to harm a hair on her head they'll be sorry!"

Halia wasn't quite sure what to make of all the support and attention, leaving her to be rather flustered and overwhelmed as Kay gently took her hand and led her out of the dining room. She had been rather nervous about going to the village, but maybe... Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, after all?

She had strayed away from Kay for a moment, who had stopped to flirt up one of the local girls and hadn't seemed to interested in guiding Halia around in the first place. With hope, seeing how so far things had been going well with Kay next to her, she had happily (if nervously) been waving at the passing village children, who seemed to steer clear of her, to her sadness. This was her first time visiting the town itself. She had only ridden through it on the back of a cart so far. With her hood up, making sure nobody would see she was an Elf. And apart from Ector's estate, she had only been to Shirou's Sanctum.

Now, however, she wished she had stayed with the disinterested Knight... As agreed upon, she had nervously kept her hood down, hoping that introductions from Kay as an honored guest of Lord Ector would help her earn the locals their trust. Going off on her own didn't really help with that, she realized. She hadn't been introduced to them as a guest of their Lord, nor as Shirou's apprentice... As she nervously tried to stutter to a burly, seemingly drunk man that was glaring at her with open disgust that she didn't mean to cause any trouble, and was hurriedly looking around for Kay, getting a little scared - she was hit in the head by something hard. As she fell back, somewhat dazed and felt something warm trickle down from her forehead, her vision steadied just enough for her to see the small rock, and the little kid who had thrown it clinging to the burly drunk's leg.

Not knowing what to do, she just laid there in the cold mud, feeling tears well up in her eyes. What had she done wrong? It would be just the same as in Deganwy... Having to hide and cower... When she managed to see a clay cup being flung from the drunk's hand in her direction through her tears, she raised her arms trying to protect herself as she winced and waited. But the impact never came.

"TSCHINNGG!"

Instead, she heard it shatter against something hard, something metal. Carefully opening her eyes, she saw the armoured, tall figure of... Kay! Standing in front of her, an arm held out with his sheathed sword, probably having intercepted the cup with that. The street, where she could see several people having simply stood and watched her get assaulted, fell silent, as Kay angrily stomped towards the drunk and punched him in the face, causing the man to trip and fall over, now lying in much the same position as Halia across the street.

"How DARE you attack and harass an honored guest of your Lord!? A harmless, young girl no less!" her savior shouted angrily.

Seeing two members of the town militia now turning up into the street, Kay waved them over and said "Throw this sorry excuse for a man into the stockade to sleep off his drunken haze!"

Halia, still stunned, not being used to anyone standing up for her - save for Shirou and Arturia of course, carefully stood up in a daze. She hurried her way over and quietly stuttered "S-s-sir Kay, please... It's alright. H-he just doesn't k-know any better. I wouldn't w-want anyone to be punished over me..."

Kay turned around to look at her, and the angry expression on his face immediately turned into a worried one as he knelt down in front of her and pulled out a strip of cloth and started to pat her forehead. She only now realized she was bleeding as she saw the cloth slowly turning red in the corner of her eyes. And yet she couldn't quite focus on it, with Kay so close to her, and so worried about her...

The knight let out a sigh and asked "Are you sure, Halia? You have every right to be mad when someone attacks you without reason, you know?"

She just nodded as she felt her cheeks start to redden, not trusting her voice to stay steady. After a few moments of inspecting her and wrapping a quick bandage around her head, he turned to the two militiamen, holding the drunk up between them.

With a dejected sigh he told the pitiful man, covered in mud from falling down and with some blood running from his nose staining his shirt "You should be grateful that Lady Halia has such a big heart, you fool... Stop to think next time, before you make any ignorant decisions."

After a nod to the still somewhat confused militiamen and instructing them to make sure he doesn't get near any ale for the foreseeable future, the drunk was released, after which he sat down against the wall of the nearby building in a drunk daze. Although the blow to the nose might have played a part in it too... Kay turned to her again, giving her an apologetic and wry smile.

"I'm sorry... If I hadn't been distracted this might not have happened." He looked genuinely ashamed, which stunned Halia for a moment, before she hurriedly replied "N-no it's alright! It's my fault for just wandering off without my hood on before being introduced after all..."

It seemed as if Kay wanted to object as he opened his mouth, but then he just let out a sigh and chuckled as he stuck out his hand for her to hold "You really are too kind for your own good you know? Well then, milady, shall we take you to get that pretty dress cleaned up and your wound looked over?"

He thought her dress was p-pretty...? Did he think she was pretty too? Feeling her head definitely reddening at this point, and noticing the mud that got on her, she just demurely nodded and grabbed his hand as he began to lead her back to Lord Ector's estate. As they walked, he gave her a worried look and asked "You look a bit red? I hope everything is alright... Are you maybe still a little too dizzy from that blow to your head?"

Halia panicked a little, and hurriedly said "Y-yes that must be it... Thank you for being so concerned for me, S-sir Kay."

Her savior, seemed to think for a moment, before gently lifting her up into his arms to carry her "But of course! And I feel more than a little foolish for getting distracted by some girl... I swear on my honour, milady; next time I'll make sure to stick by your side!"

It was a miracle he still didn't pick up the fact that the young, Half Elven girl lying in his arms was practically swooning, thinking about all those bedtime stories Ellaria had read to her about Knights saving princesses from danger... Even her gradually warming hands that clamped onto his chest, despite the winter cold, he wrote off as being caused by her slight daze and exhaustion from walking back to the estate.

Kay, who always tried his best to flirt with and impress the local maidens of Bala, but never really got anywhere, had no clue at all that he just became her personal hero. It didn't register in his mind that the twelve year old girl, a good seven years younger than himself, could have started to develop a crush on him...

Later that night, while Ector was berating Kay for leaving Halia alone, Arturia and Merlin shared a knowing glance and a deep sigh as they watched the young girl staring at the unfolding scolding with clear worry in her lilac eyes. And an unmistakable, bright red blush on her cheeks... Granted, seeing Kay carry her back into the living room, bridal style, and yet still completely clueless to the blushing and fidgeting girl's clear adoration of him as he called for Aine to look her over, had been rather amusing.

Back in Lord Ector's dining room... As soon as Kay and Halia were gone, Ector cleared his throat as he turned to the womanizing magus. "Now... The girl did raise a valid question. You had pressing business in the east, no? Which is why Shirou and Arturia went to Anglesey without you. So... What exactly were you up to?"

His eyes narrowed and his tone sharpened at the end, leaving no room for Merlin to weasel himself out of providing an explanation. Arturia was intently following the exchange, staying quiet in fear of being asked to leave as well.

Letting out a sigh, Merlin started in a much more serious tone than he had thus far "Some of my sources had told me there were signs of dark magic and rituals in and around Rheged. Very dark... Human sacrifice, demonology... In short, the whole package of evil witchcraft."

"Did you find anything?" Arturia asked concerned, ignoring her earlier worries.

Merlin frowned as he hesitantly said "Well... Yes, and no. Yes, there were signs of darker forms of magecraft. Mostly a foul whiff in the air and withered plant life, although several of the homeless residents had gone missing, not that any of the local lords would care for that."

Judging by his expression, she could tell that Merlin, much like herself didn't quite like the attitude of the majority of the nobility in regards to their domain's underprivileged. After letting out a deep sigh, he continued on with his report in a somewhat strained and hesitant tone.

"Sadly I failed to find anything concrete related to what kind of rituals may have been performed. I did manage to connect a name to the rumours, however..."

"Well, spill it" Ector groaned after a few seconds of tense silence. Merlin's eyes darkened noticeably before he continued with a pained expression "Morgan Le Fay." Upon the uttering of those three words, the room fell silent. And stayed silent for the next few minutes.

Arturia felt her breath hitch. Her half-sister... Merlin had advised her a few years ago that her older sister, from her father's first marriage, was more than a little envious of the fact that their father had intended for Arturia to be his heir and be tutored by Merlin, while she was married off to one of his allies; King Lot of Gododdin. It also didn't help that Merlin had toyed around with Morgan's heart before she was married off... The fact that she had apparently also been a prodigy in various forms of magecraft, having been taught by Merlin when he was still their father's Court Magus from a young age, only made things worse...

Merlin went on to explain how he tracked Morgan's trail through Rheged, even finding evidence she had at one point been a guest of King Urien... And yet never being able to catch up with her.

"I managed to speak to some of Urien's court maidens and from what I could tell he had been entertaining a female visitor as of late... A beautiful woman calling herself Morgause. I believe that was in fact Morgan, but she seemed to have left not long before I arrived, and there hadn't been any strange occurrences apart from her visit from what they could tell me."

After a while of searching, he had made his way to Gododdin, where he was welcomed as an honored guest by King Lot. While Arturia had never had the chance to meet the man herself, from Ector's stories she knew he was a kind and decent man, a long time friend and ally of King Uther.

Letting out a deep sigh, Merlin continued "At least Lot wasn't corrupted in any way from such long exposure to your sister... He was still the warm and boisterous King that used to drink Uther and Ector here under the table. And yet there was such sadness in his eyes as well..."

It didn't fit at all with the stories Merlin had later told her of Morgan. How could such a loyal and kind man love someone so despicable as her hateful sister? And from what Merlin had found out, King Lot was still head over heels for her... Even though she had apparently left Gododdin months earlier after an argument. An argument about her. Her heart felt heavy when Merlin recalled what Lot had told him. Her sister had tried to convince her husband to participate in the jousting tournament and claim Kingship over Britannia. And to openly oppose Arturia if, or rather, when she were to pull Caliburn from the stone and announce her own Kingship.

What had she done to deserve such hatred from a sister? Morgan was already a Queen in her own right - one married to a good man. A strong and respected King. Not to mention the fact that they even had four children together. Three sons; Gawain, Gaheris and Agravain, and a daughter, Gareth... Why would she abandon all of them just to spite her? It just didn't make sense to Arturia.

She was somewhat relieved that it at least seemed as if King Lot meant her no ill will, and could perhaps even become a strong ally when her time came. Even if he didn't exactly know who she was, other than the fact that she existed, somewhere. Sadly Merlin crushed that hope, explaining that Lot was rather occupied with Saxons of the kingdom of Beornice trying to invade from the south, and a growing threat of the native Picts from the north. And they were altogether too cut off by miles upon miles of Saxon-occupied territory...

If Morgan did manage to find allies in her hateful vendetta against Arturia, things could get even more challenging than they would already undoubtedly be for her... And so far she could only really call King Aglovale a strong ally. Which she largely owed to Shirou... As she frowned and rested her head in her hands, part of her truly wished then they hadn't pressed Merlin for details.

Kay was quietly humming a simple tune to himself. It was cold outside, and he was more than happy to be sitting indoors, doing paperwork. His father would never admit it, Knightly as he is, but the old man truly despised paperwork. As such it often fell to Kay to rifle through the various reports and missives from across the Brythonic realms delivered to Bala via mounted messenger.

it wouldn't have been too daunting a task, had they arrived in order... Due to the distance between the sender and receiver, as well as factors such as the weather conditions, bandits preying on the roads, and a whole slew of other circumstances - it could often take anywhere from days, to months before a given report arrived at Bala. His father would quickly find himself groaning in frustration as the contradicting messages and ill-timed reports overwhelmed him.

Suffice to say he was more than happy to take away some of Kay's more... indignant duties (read: sty duty) in exchange for help with the paperwork. And if Kay was being honest, he rather liked it. He was a decent Knight by all accounts, of course he couldn't measure up to Arturia now that she had been enjoying Shirou's training... But compared to most regular Knights, Kay was a cut above the norm.

But he shone the brightest when it came to the role of administrator for his father's domain. He ordered every missive, report, announcement - even rumours gathered by militiamen in the village itself and from travelling merchants into one neat package. Everything sorted by date and origin of the message. He would mark off pieces with a small 'X' mark in the corner if they had already been replaced by a newer missive (as sometimes, later messengers would somehow arrive earlier than previous ones). Some days, he felt like an artist - painting a picture of informational needs.

As he finished up that week's paperwork and left it all on neat stacks on his father's desk, he got up and stretched his sore back. He might have liked the task, but it was still rough on his muscles to sit for hours on end. He really needed to remember to get Shirou to make some more of those fancy pillows he had on all of his chairs in the Sanctum... Hmm, maybe he could go for a relaxing bath in the hot tub?

Absentmindedly musing about future comforts thanks to his sister's best friend, he wasn't really looking in front of him as he opened the door and... bumped right into a short obstacle. With a yelp, the young, lilac haired girl that seemed to have been standing in front of the door, ready to knock, was knocked on her behind in front of him. Pulled from his musings, he quickly apologized and helped her up.

"O-oh no t-that's alright, S-sir Kay! J-just bad timing on my part is all..." the girl stuttered, her face blushing red.

Kay of course assumed it was because of the sudden scare and smiled apologetically as he helped her back up and patted her head, which she always seemed to enjoy - unlike Arturia, who could get fiercely protective of her hair, much to his amusement. Or at least, it had been amusing until she grew strong enough to throw him through a stone wall if she so pleased...

It had been four days since their trip into the village, and the unfortunate accident, and he had only really seen the girl during the meals they shared at the estate or the Sanctum. She had seemed a lot more open towards him than before, which Kay attributed to her getting used to her new surroundings. And he had to admit that while he hadn't enjoyed being saddled up with babysitting duty, he had quickly grown fond of the kindhearted, somewhat shy and reserved Halia.

As a Knight, how could he not? A young girl in need of protection... In some ways it reminded him a lot of when Arturia had first been brought to them. He had instantly felt the need to protect his new little sister as best he could! When had he started feeling the same way about Halia? Perhaps it was easier with her, considering that Arturia had never really needed much protection in the first place...

"Still, I should have paid more attention where I was going!" Kay insisted, getting a small smile from the girl. "Anyways milady, did you want to ask my father something? Because he isn't in there" he asked curiously, gesturing at his father's study he had just left.

The girl froze up a little, before her blush intensified as she nervously fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "E-ehm... A-actually, S-sir Kay... I was wondering i-if you would want to go to the village again... with... with me".

Kay felt a pang of guilt as he hesitantly asked "Are you sure? Last time you got hurt because I lost sight of you... Wouldn't you rather go with Arturia instead?".

The girl's shoulders seemed to droop as she quietly replied "I-if you don't want to go with me, I understand...".

Panicking because he had really meant it well, and had now suddenly made her feel bad, he quickly added "N-no! That's not it at all, I just thought you wouldn't want to go out with me again... I'd love to take you to see the village, Halia!".

That caused Halia to perk up again as she looked at him with wide eyes, before giving him the brightest and widest smile he had seen on her face up until that point. Unbeknownst to Kay, the story of the beautiful Elven princess and the fiercely protective Knight and son of the local Lord to whose arm she clung as they walked around Bala, spread around the domain like a wildfire. Although some were a little concerned about the Knight's interest in a girl of such a young age...

Seeing how kind and loving he was towards the young girl, however, had the added effect of having the local girls of Bala starting to see Sir Kay and his endless, boorish flirts in a different light. Maybe he wasn't all that bad... And if he was good enough for an Elven princess... All of which would also remain a mystery to Kay. All he could see when he looked at Halia was the innocent and shy Elven girl, happily clinging to his arm and chattering about this and that. While whenever he looked away, she was sending fiery glares towards any girl that even looked like she was considering coming over to talk to her Knight...

The clanging of metal against metal was all that resounded throughout the large courtyard of Aberffraw castle. And all that had resounded throughout it for the past several hours. That is, if you don't count the dull thuds whenever Shirou gracefully whacked him across the chest, arms, legs, back or head with the flat of his simple longsword. The mysterious magus and master swordsman had arrived in Aberffraw two weeks ago to deliver the commissioned swords to his family after a week of travel. Being the youngest of his brothers, and thus the last one to be presented his, he had eyed the swords his elders received with awe and admiration.

They were all expertly forged and their blades shone in the rays of sunlight coming through the Great Hall's high windows like the purest of silver. While the longswords of his middle brothers, Lamorak and Dornar, were expertly forged as well, the outlandish design of Aglovale's massive one and a half meter long 'Zweihander' or 'Double-hander' commanded all of their attention. That is, until Shirou presented him with his own dual blades.

The elegant longsword 'Dyfylbarhad' and the accompanying shortsword 'Uchelgais'. Meaning 'perseverance' and 'ambition' respectively in the regional tongue, took his breath away. The gleaming blades contained elegant fullers with their given names inscribed into them, leading up to the golden rain-guards shaped like crosses that in turn flowed into the gently curved, golden crossguards that were decorated with runes. Decorated might not be the correct term, however, as Shirou had explained that those runes kept the blades sharper and stronger than any ordinary sword. The grips were wrapped with high quality, sturdy leather dyed in a beautiful dark purple that seemed to lightly caress his palms. Topping the swords off were round, golden pommels that held finely cut amethysts.

While their overall design may have been more simplistic compared to the swords of his brothers, Percival could clearly sense that his two new weapons were forged for him and him alone. As he held them, even without having any actual training in wielding two weapons at once, they felt like extensions of his arms. When he inquired as to their given names, considering they implied much from the youngest son of Pellinore, Shirou just gave him a mysterious smile and stated that he would grow into them over time. And the first step towards that growth was learning how to actually fight with two swords. Percival had enthusiastically agreed, still remembering Shirou's own entrancing, dual-wielding fighting style.

And now everything hurt. Everything. There was no part of his bruised and battered body that hadn't been deftly punished for his mistakes by Shirou's simple longsword. He had been pushing his body to the limit for years as he trained to become a Knight of Anglesey. And yet, no matter how strong or viciously Percival attacked, Shirou always dexterously dodged, parried and counter-attacked to score his point. And always landed the flat of his blade on him, further displaying their vast difference in skill. They would spar like that for hours on end, only taking short breaks to stretch their (read: Percival's) punished muscles and eating small snacks to keep up their energy. Shirou would constantly give friendly and helpful comments as to how Percival could improve himself, and steadily he began to notice changes in how he fought and even how he approached his assaults.

After a few days, he even managed to parry some of Shirou's swift, retaliatory strikes. The ever present, knowing smile on the elusive magus, however, always seemed to indicate to Percival that that had been his intention - deftly followed by an increase in speed on his part. When he had asked him why he hadn't fought with dual blades as well, Shirou had casually explained that there would be no point to it, considering Percival would rarely, if ever, face off against an opponent who did so.

No matter the amount of punishment Percival received, though, he kept going. Pushing himself further and further, wanting to catch up to Shirou. 'That didn't make it any less painful though...' Percival though to himself as he let out a pained groan while lying on his bruised back.

His devilish instructor casually walked up to him and reached out his hand to help him up as he said with a smirk "Come now, our next break isn't for another twenty minutes, and here you are, lazing about already...".

With a determined gaze, Percival grabbed his hand and pulled himself up, before readying himself in his starting position once more... At one point, when the sun had already started to graze the horizon and Percival was heavily panting and sweating, Shirou had declared the day's training complete. When Percival had enthusiastically stated he could keep going for a while longer in between his gasps for air, Shirou had chuckled and given him a corrective boop on the head.

"Please, if I work you to death your brothers over there will murder me. Besides, I'd say you're already worthy of 'Perseverance'. Now you just need to find a purpose, a goal, and 'Ambition' will suit you just as well".

That comment had elicited a surprised smile from Percival, who hadn't really thought much of it. As he glanced over at his brothers, who had taken to watching him getting his butt kicked, their shell-shocked expressions told him he might have been pushing himself a little too hard...

Percival had spent the morning following Shirou around Aberffraw castle as he discussed various things with his brother, King Aglovale. Apparently, the redhead was explaining a number of advances in various areas of life. Most notable among those, was a new way of farming, which separated the single, large fields everyone in Britannia used, into multiple smaller ones that prevented degradation of the soil and allowed for more varied and bountiful harvests until later into the year.

Even Percival, who knew little of administration and was rarely asked to assist his older brother in his duties as the King, could recognize the value in the advances Shirou proposed. When asked why he presented them with those revolutionary ideas for free, Shirou just stated with a wry smile that the next few years were going to be... tumultuous for Britannia, and that Anglesey had the chance to play a pivotal role in them - if they had enough time to prepare, that is. Which is when he carefully suggested that Aglovale and Lord Ector join forces in the Representative Lords of the Realm to delay the joust as long as possible.

His brother had been intrigued and had asked Shirou to accompany him as they discussed the advancements with various officials of the Kingdom that were currently in Aberffraw. After those discussion, that Percival wasn't sitting in on, the afternoon was once more filled with rigorous training, followed by an extensive dinner. By sunset the two of them finally found themselves with some time to unwind.

"Master Shirou, are you a noble?" Percival curiously asked the redhead sitting next to him on the battlements of Aberffraw Castle's walls.

He somewhat curiously eyed Shirou's clothing. It's design could only be called otherworldly - with the red overcoat that didn't resemble any type of coat usually worn in Britannia. And yet even so the quality and make of his ensemble just screamed wealthy and noble. And he spent the entire morning discussing policies and politics with his older brother and his advisers...

His friend just chuckled as he kept lazily looking at the setting sun, slowly sinking into the water. "I don't think so, why?" he asked in an amused voice.

Letting out a sigh, Percival pressed "Well... Look at your clothes! No commoner could afford those, not to mention that your eh.. 'overcoat' is red with gold detailing. If that isn't the mark of a noble on its own, add the fact you bear a family name and a coat of arms!"

With a shrug and while fiddling with the simple coat of arms embroidered on his overcoat (a strung bow with a sword instead of an arrow), all the enigmatic magus said was "That's part of Magus society I suppose. Because magecraft is generally closely guarded and kept secret, the concept of family ties are very important and identifying with a family is a big part of our community. Mostly because you can pass on your specific skills and even your Magic Circuits themselves in the form of a Magic Crest, thereby strengthening your family as the generations go by."

As Percival was letting that sink in, matching it with what Shirou had casually explained about the way magecraft worked, the redhead continued.

"I met a friendly magus in Deganwy a few weeks ago, who explained that here in Britannia, magus lineages of five generations and older are considered to be 'nobles' in a sense - although I doubt those titles are truly recognized outside of our community."

Percival frowned a little, but somewhat understood that. It was just a whole different form of nobility, in a sense... "So... What generation are you, of the.. uh Emiya family?"

He was a little confused when his friend started laughing. After a deep sigh, the reply he got was "Well... I never really considered that to be honest. I am technically the sixth head of the Emiya family. But since I was adopted and my father had some difficulties later in his life, I don't have the Emiya Magic Crest. I suppose by the Brythonic magus standards, I am still to introduce myself as 'Lord Emiya', though."

"Hmm... I see..." Percival just mused as he drifted off into his thoughts, for Percival wasn't simply asking out of curiosity. His brother had expressed an interest as well, and he made sure to report back to him later that night...

After the first full week of training, Shirou had changed up their routine and shown him an elegant display of swordsmanship. 'Shadow fighting' as he had called it, that combined various moves and techniques into fluid motions that were practiced as if taking on multiple opponents in rapid succession. It was unlike any form of practice that Percival had witnessed before. Instead of practicing separate swings against training dummies, or sparring matches, this seemed to display the full set of strikes that made up a fighting style. Shirou had 'Projected' dual blades, similar in make to his own, yet more simplistic in nature and demonstrated the motions he had devised for Percival to practice henceforth.

And they were more than just agile and elegant swings. Strengthened by kicks and jabs with the blades' pommel, it produced a style that looked... well, frightening to face off against. Over the remaining week Shirou had set aside to train Percival in Aberffraw, all he did was practice those motions. First in the air, and later against rapidly projected training dummies. The last day, Shirou even launched projected swords at him from varying angles - without warning beforehand, mind you. And yet Percival felt his body move into motions with practiced ease, responding to the new, unfamiliar threats as if it was second nature.

During Shirou's final evening in Aberffraw, he had complimented Percival on making great strides in his dual-wielding efforts. He was far from a master at it, but he had progressed much quicker than he had first imagined. Perhaps... Yes. It was time to show him how to more actively utilize his two Mystic Codes to their full extend. He charged at Percival with more ferocity than he had done thus far, pushing his student back with each swing. He found that while Percival's eyes widened in surprise for a split second, the young knight quickly regained his composure and blocked and parried with all his might.

Smiling, Shirou stated in a calm voice as he continued his barrage "Focus on Dyfylbarhad in your right hand. Do you feel the gentle hum of the grip?"

Percival seemed to blink in confusion for a moment, faltering in his defense for a split second, but as he pushed back once more his expression changed and he nodded. He didn't speak, he just focused. Shirou nodded with some pride in his student's action and continued his explanation. It wouldn't be useful to start an elaborate lesson on the workings of magecraft during their fight, so he just tried to put it in terms that made sense to a Knight.

"Your swords are Mystic Codes. That means they have properties beyond simple sharpness and durability. Those blades were forged specifically with your character in mind and as such, you should be able to make use of them to their full capabilities, beyond what most others would be able to do. Feel that hum. That drive, that determination to persevere the most challenging of fights and come out on top. Let that power flow from Dyfylbarhad, meet with your own perseverance and find its way back into your movements and the blade itself."

While his student didn't seem to fully understand what he meant, Shirou just upped his barrage's intensity another notch. To his satisfaction, he found that Percival was unconsciously keeping up with his speed. While not being able to counter-attack, his current tempo and rhythm of dodging and parrying was beyond that of a regular Human. That was the true Mystery, or enchantment, contained within Dyfylbarhad. Strengthening one's resolve and will to persevere, helping him match stronger and faster opponents. Percival too seemed to notice his increased speed and began to consciously move along with his motions, pushing himself further. Eventually he even managed to get in a few counter-attacks as he defended against Shirou's onslaught.

When Shirou had Reinforced Ector's, Kay's and the other Knights of Bala their weapons and armour, he noted that none of them had possessed any Magic Circuits. Although some of them, like Ector and Kay themselves, were more 'attuned' to magical essences in general, their lack of Magic Circuits meant they would never be able to make use of a 'proper' Mystic Code; one that had special abilities apart from simply being Reinforced to be sharper, more durable or lighter (or heavier, depending on one's preferred fighting style).

When he had battled his way through Aberffraw Castle with the sons of Pellinore and their Knights, something that stood out to him was that the brothers gave of notably stronger aura's than the other Knights of Anglesey. Later quick assessments confirmed his initial suspicions; each of the brothers had a scant few Magic Circuits. Not enough to give them even the slightest potential future as a magus, of course, but enough to properly make use of more intensive Mystic Codes - which required the user to channel some Od into them to activate their abilities. Perhaps the more established noble families at one point in time grew into their position due to their talent in the field of thaumaturgy?

While Percival was for some reason the most gifted among his brothers in that regard - possessing eight, C-Ranked Magic Circuits, a regular Mystic Code forged using Shirou's own, honed techniques would take far too long to fully master. He had always forged his Mystic Codes for mages to make use of after all. Or to be more precise; mages and exceptions with immense reserves of magical essence and an outright shocking abundance of Circuits in the form of a Core, such as Arturia. This is where the art of Runecraft came in to play. Whereas his normal methods meant pouring his own Od and gathered Mana from the surroundings into the full artifact to enhance and adapt its base qualities with, Runecraft was focused solely on pouring that energy into carefully inscribed Runes. Effectively serving as a focus point for magical essence, it had an important side benefit of being much more stable to produce, as well as being able to be placed in addition to more regular enchantments.

The main reason why he had opted for using them for these specific weapons, however, was that because they served as focus points for the magical essence gathered in the artifacts, their wielders could activate them by expending significantly less Od. Thus making it far more feasible for those with just a scant few Circuits like the sons of Pellinore, as compared to full-blown mages, to make proper use of the artifacts in question. And yet the peculiar nature of Runecraft also had a downside...

The reason most mages in his own time had all but abandoned the practice, was because the art of Runecraft stemmed from a time where the Old ways of magic from the Age of the Gods started to fade and transition into the current forms of Magecraft. The Old ways relied heavily on the meaning, or Intent behind the spoken word. Effectively being what videogames in modern times referred to as 'Spells', whereas actual modern Magecraft used words only in the form of mantras or arias that served as a form of self-hypnosis to put the caster in a more focused state of mind towards achieving the desired Mystery. The actual words themselves used to cast the 'spell' could differ from magus to magus because of that. Runes relied on the Old system in that regard.

Thus inscribing and properly utilizing Runes required one to not only have a proper understanding of the 'meaning' of the used Runes in the linguistic sense of the word, but also the Intent behind their initial creation. The Mystery of the words themselves. Or so the rather... colourful textbook he bought from Ellaria regaled. Most of it was even written in the form of flowery poems... As such, it was difficult to explain, and sometimes Shirou himself wasn't quite sure if he understood what he meant by it, but in practice when he had tested Percival's swords it seemed to be correct. The Runes seemed to work similar to Conceptual Weapons, which are to his understanding physical representations of a Concept in much the same way as the Intent behind Runes - but that was a whole other mind boggling can of worms Shirou was not ready to open yet...

Returning to the matter at hand, Dyfylbarhad (Perseverance), and Uchelgais (Ambition); the matching Runes used as focus points for the Runes around them that specified the full extend of the weapons their abilities, inscribed on their crossguards, could only be activated once you had either a full understanding of them and their workings, or a drive and focus that aligned so purely with their Intent that in a sense, the Runes understood the wielder instead of the other way around - which was what he had been striving for with Percival.

It didn't take long, however, for Percival to noticeably tire from the extra effort in expending his untrained flow of Od. As they broke up for the day, Shirou further explained the theory and workings behind the Mystic Codes, and Percival's eight Magic Circuits that allowed him to use them. Only practice would allow him to make use of it for longer stretches of time. After the initial explanations on how magecraft in general made use of Circuits and Od, his student carefully asked whether his side-arm, Uchelgais, had a similar ability.

"While you have already proven your drive to improve yourself and push beyond your limits, and have thus identified enough with Dyfylbarhad to start making use of its features without significant effort in learning the intricacies of Runecraft, 'Ambition' is still something you essentially lack. You don't have a true goal yet, beyond self-improvement. Once you find something to dedicate yourself too, I have no doubt that you will be able to make full use of Uchelgais as well. You will simply have to discover its potential on your own when that time comes."

That night, his last night as a guest of Anglesey's royal court, they held a great feast in his honor - for once not allowing him to be their chef. Their sister, Dindraine, had finally returned from her recovery period at an abbey on the other side of the island. He had briefly met her after they wrested Aberffraw Castle from the bloody grasp of Briannac, but the girl had mostly been drifting in and out of consciousness at the time, and he doubted she remembered him at all.

She had been used as a blood donor by the vampire noble, hung on a hook and slowly drained of her blood to last longer... The memory of seeing her hang there and carefully bringing her down sent shivers down his spine. He had spent most of the following hours watching over her, keeping Arturia close for the added effect of Avalon, which he managed to slip into her while the rest was running around the castle. And still, he had doubted she would survive through the night...

Now, however, her complexion looked far more healthy and she smiled happily when he introduced himself to her. Her copper brown, almost ginger hair and grey eyes, in combination with her fair skin, presented a beautiful sight. She seemed to be around sixteen years old and was about a head shorter than him. She blushed when she told him that she did in fact remember meeting him that day and thanked him profusely for rescuing her from the grip of that 'blood stealing monster'.

During the feast, Shirou was curiously seated in between Percival and Dindraine, although normally Aglovale would have him take place next to him to get his input on various topics. He didn't think much of it, considering that it was probably just a chance for him to properly get to know Dindraine as well. He also wasn't quite sure why Percival was incredibly nervous during the feast. At least, not until the girl who had been taking every opportunity to talk to him, excused herself as the dinner came to a close.

"Uhm... master Shirou, I-I think you should know that... eh..." Percival started quietly, trailing off a little, unsure of what to say. So Shirou urged for him to continue.

"Well... You see... My brother asked me to find out whether you were a noble, and when I told him last night that you can technically be considered a 'Lord' in the magus community, he may have... hinted to propose an... alliance...".

Shirou blinked a few times in confusion before he carefully replied "In what sense? Like an offer of employ-...". And then it hit him. Dindraine being seated next to him. The somewhat flirty behaviour of the girl with the slightly uncomfortable form of hero worship towards him...

"Do you mean... a marriage proposal?" he asked Percival incredulously.

Before his nervous friend could reply, Aglovale commanded the room's attention. As Shirou looked over, he saw Dindraine nervously blushing at Aglovale's side, looking his way, happily clutching the soft blanket he had projected for her when she had casually remarked she had been a little cold. 'Oh crap..' was the only thought running through his mind as the King started to speak.

"Lord Emiya, in recognition of your heroic deeds in the battle for Aberffraw Castle, I and my family already wished to reward you... Now, with the advancements you have so freely given to us, the Kingdom of Anglesey will recover even faster! With my beautiful sister's approval, of course, I would like to propose to you an alliance between our two houses. It is my greatest honor and privilege to present you with the hand of Princess Dindraine of Anglesey!"

The room fell silent, as everyone was eyeing Shirou with excitement. Clearly everyone was expecting him to agree to the offer, considering Dindraine's beauty and his own unmarried status. It took him a few seconds to compose himself and find the grace to calmly reply in the right way.

"You honor me with your kind offer, King Aglovale. And from what I have gathered during our talk tonight, Princess Dindraine, your kindness and intellect rivals your beauty. Living through what you have survived, and still being such a vibrant and wonderful person proves your strength of will and character... It is without a doubt that I say you would make a fine bride to any man."

Before people could cheer and celebrate, however, Shirou bowed his head towards Dindraine in respect and as an apology, before quickly continuing to not give the wrong impression and just rip the band aid right off...

"However I could never give you the love you deserve, milady. My heart was claimed by another long ago... And while she may be forever out of my reach, there could never be another for me. I do truly hope you find a man that can love you unconditionally, Princess. One so kind as yourself deserves no less. Please accept my sincerest apologies, but as such I must decline your generous proposal, King Aglovale."

That the then present court of Anglesey was shocked and stunned was an understatement, but Shirou's words seemed to have had an effect. While Aglovale was trying to formulate a reply, the Princess nearly swooned while she praised him for his 'chivalrous and undying dedication to love', as she called it. It may have been because of the distance between them at the time, but he could have sworn her pupils had taken the shape of literal hearts. While Aglovale took it in stride and didn't hold it against him in the slightest, sadly, Dindraine seemed to be even more head over heels than before he rejected her. Something about how she had 'expected no less from a true gentleman' than to so delicately let her down. He could do little but quietly sigh.

That morning as he said most of his goodbyes, Dindraine had held out her hand for him to kiss with an expectant look and a flustered face. Holding back a sigh, he did as was expected of him, causing her to giggle and proceed to run off with her handmaidens as they excitedly whispered among themselves. 'Girls...' he just thought to himself as he shook his head, slightly amused and embarrassed.

While Shirou was packing up his supplies and saddling his horse to leave Aberffraw behind once more, he recognized Percival's excited footsteps coming his way. As he turned around with a knowing smile, he found the young Knight approaching him with a determined gaze. He had already expected this. Not only because of his student's enthusiasm during their training, but also because Aglovale had warned him about Percival's plans as he had said his goodbyes that morning.

"Master Shirou, please, allow me to come with you and continue my training under you!" the boy excitedly blurted out with a deep bow.

While he didn't care much for being called 'Master', especially from someone he considered a friend who was (at least physically) around the same age as him, it seemed that his newer apprentices (namely Halia and Percival) insisted on it with a righteous determination as a show of respect. Letting out a small sigh and softly chuckling, he put a hand on his friend's shoulder. He had genuinely grown to care for him. And if things had been different, he would have taken him along. But once again, he had to put Arturia's happiness before someone else's.

The date for the jousting tournament to determine the next King of Britannia, and thus the day upon which Arturia was to pull Caliburn from the stone, was only a year or so away if Aglovale and Ector didn't manage to push it forward. She deserved every moment until then, and much more if it were up to him, to revel in just being herself. Bringing Percival along with him now would only cut her remaining time short as he would be practicing and residing in the Sanctum with them.

"Percival, my friend... Right now you are more than capable of continuing to refine your style here, in your home. Your brothers are capable and skilled Knights, and they will prove more than challenging as your sparring partners. The style I've devised for you is only a starting one, you yourself will have to further develop it as you face different opponents to truly make it your own. I can't help you with that."

Seeing the dejected look on his temporary student's face, he couldn't help but liken him to a puppy. Quick to get excited, and adorably sad when you don't have time to play with them. Holding back a chuckle as he found himself comparing this situation to kicking a puppy, he added "It will be some time before we see each other again, but I assume you will be present at the jousting tournament, along with your family?"

Percival just nodded, with somewhat of a wry smile as he replied "I will, yes... And Aglovale will be participating, even if none of us truly believe that the tournament is the right way to determine the next King... Although I think my brother will be attending a meeting of the Representative Lords soon too, so maybe we'll be stopping by Bala on the way back!"

Shirou couldn't help but smile. The sons of Pellinore truly were good men and he had more than enough reason to believe they would fully support Arturia when the time came. That was his primary goal here in Aberffraw, after all, no matter how much he liked them.

With a lighthearted chuckle he stated "Then we will see each other there! And if you happen to have time, do stop by on your way back. I'll be sure to prepare a feast to welcome you all".

His friend let the matter drop without further argument and just promised to show him how much he improved in Roan, around the time of the tournament, and in Bala if they had time. Now Shirou could only hope that Merlin hadn't corrupted his two other apprentices during his absence... Or well, he mostly feared for Halia. The young girl was rather impressionable. Honestly, how that old coot managed to show up the exact same day he would leave for his roughly month long trip to Aberffraw... It almost had to be on purpose, right? Merlin had the gift of foresight after all.

Still though, Merlin had been genuinely intrigued when he told him that she had instinctively created a wicker dog familiar out of a basket when she was cornered. Perhaps that was enough to keep him on the straight and narrow... The famous magus his practiced use of golems and nature-based familiars would prove very valuable for her training after all. Especially considering Shirou could teach her nothing in that particular field. Now all he could hope was that Merlin's less savory traits wouldn't rub off on her. The clear adoration the young girl held for the charismatic older magus didn't help quell those concerns of his either. Luckily she had Arturia there to beat Merlin into place if he ever crossed a line.

While she would never give him any serious wounds, she clearly wasn't afraid to hurt him. Shirou doubted that Merlin even remembered the first hour or so that he arrived in the Sanctum again. Considering that Arturia had knocked him out the moment she realized the infamous pervert was staring at her as if entranced by her appearance. To be fair, it was probably the first time Merlin had ever seen Arturia in a dress, with her hair in a long braid to boot. So it might just have been more shock than the urges of his incubus side...

Arturia was cold and tired. It was winter and the regions around Bala had indicated the arrival of several bandit companies scouring the countrysides looking for easy prey. Lord Ector had decided that they would need to send out more patrols, and that they would need more horses. Arturia had at first been thrilled. She loved horse riding after all. And while she had grown fond of her own horse, it was an older mare that was past its prime already. This could be her chance to choose her next horse!

Only after a few hours did the cold winds start to set in. It was freezing. Even Shirou's Reinforced cloaks did little to hold back the cold. They had decided against camping halfway and just riding on until they reached the town that was known for its horse breeders. As such, it was just after dark when they finally reached the last hill to get across. But then they noticed something. The sky behind the hill was illuminated by an eerie, red orange glow. Something was on fire... And wasn't that where that town was?

Her father whistled to signal a faster pace, after which they and the six Knights they had taken as escorts nervously made their way up the hill. As they reached the top, they were shocked. Half of the town was on fire and people were running through the streets. Faint screams could be heard. "Bandits..." one of the Knights muttered. "Your orders, my lord?" another asked Ector.

The old Knight cracked his neck and seemed to scan across the sight for a moment "No telling how many there are... But, we are Knights of the realm! It is our duty to aid this town as best we can. Stick close to each other and try to get as many of the villagers to safety behind this hill!"

The tension was palpable, but everyone present was a Knight (or a Squire in Arturia's case) and knew it was their duty to help. Another short whistle was all it took to get their troop moving. Swords drawn and spears at the ready for those who had them, they started to pick up speed as they made their way to the entrance of the town's central street. Bodies... villagers and several militiamen by the looks of their equipment, were littering the dirt road and Arturia swallowed away her nerves.

Everything alive they could see, where a dozen or so men, dressed in mismatched outfits of leather and metal. They were busy dragging boxes and crates out of the first few buildings, that were still mostly on fire. Arturia could catch a momentary glimpse of confused surprise in the face of the first bandit she rode towards, followed by utter terror. All right before she cleaved her Damascus Steel longsword through his head with sickening ease. Like a knife through butter. A magically reinforced knife. This wasn't like those ghouls... These were people. But as her second enemy came into sight, she did her best to shake those concerns away. She was a Knight. And these men were murderers...

She charged and rode him over with her horse, hearing a sickening crunch before his screaming stopped. At that point, she felt bile rise up in the back of her throat. As she looked around, hoping to find something to distract her, she took in the carnage. The burned and slaughtered bodies... Next to her, Ector rode up as she emptied the contents of her stomach to the side of her mount, unable to hold it in any longer. Flicking some blood off of his own blade. He gave her a concerned look and seemed as if he was about to say something, but seeing the determination on her somewhat pale face after she recomposed herself, he just nodded, as the two of them turned to face their next targets.

Author's Note

Well there we have it folks, Chapter 6! Around 10K instead of the 20K I was aiming for, but considering where next chapter picks up, this just felt like the most natural place to cut it off. I know there are those who truly enjoy every combat scene, but after weeks of failed attempts at writing a reasonably interesting scene for the bandit-village-raid, I (to my shame) gave up. I couldn't really figure out any believable way in which any of those bandits posed an actual threat to Arturia, so writing out elaborate fight scenes just all felt... wrong, I guess.

So what do you folks think about this chapter's content? :) I personally feel like I might have gone a bit too in-depth and made the training of Percival a little too mechanics-heavy, but that's a balance I haven't quite worked out yet. So yeah, thanks for reading! I realize my other Fate FanFics are a little late as well (Shared Ideals & Tempered Nerves), and my apologies for that. I am working on them, but I'm trying to settle on a definitive storyline for the foreseeable future for both, and I can't quite decide... Every time I get around halfway through the next chapters, I just realize that a different path might be better and I end up storing it as a draft, before writing out a new chapter beginning... I'll get there eventually folks! O:)